Clinical and Therapeutic Treatment Approach Between Diabetes Mellitus and Urinary Tract Infection

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus is a metabolic syndrome of multiple origins, caused by the insulin absence in the bloodstream and/or by the inability of insulin to adequately exert its effects, causing hyperglycemia and subsequent complications in the body's organic systems. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most frequent due to the glucose increase in blood circulation and the impairment of cellular immunity, creating a favorable environment for the bacteria proliferation at the inflammation spots. This review describes the clinical and therapeutic aspects of diabetes mellitus and urinary tract infection, with guidelines on glucose management in these events. A non-systematic review was carried out in the Virtual Health Library, PubMed, Scielo, and Google Academic databases with the descriptors Diabetes mellitus, Urinary Tract Infection, Hyperglycemia, Bacteriuria, and Urinary Incontinence. The most relevant articles were selected. Pertinent clinical and therapeutic issues were discussed, covering the diabetes factors that contribute to the onset of UTI; urinary tract infection complications in patients with diabetes mellitus; asymptomatic bacteriuria, recurrent urinary tract infections, and urinary incontinence in people with diabetes; treatments for diabetes and urinary tract infection; and the relationship between glucose-lowering medications and UTI. Given the greater susceptibility of people with diabetes to acquire UTI, the combined insight into these diseases is crucial, both for better UTI prevention in diabetics and for the treatment of both.